1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a rack gear and, more specifically, to a rack gear for a rack and pinion steering system.
2. Description of Related Art
Both manual and power assisted vehicle steering systems have used rack and pinion gears in a known manner. The rack gear is typically formed on an elongate member that is connected at opposite ends with vehicle steering linkage, such as tie rods. It is desirable to minimize the weight of the elongate member in order to minimize the weight of the steering system, while still preserving the strength of the elongate member. U.S. Pat. No. 4,133,221 discloses a method of making a hollow rack gear by pressing together dies on opposite sides of a tubular member to form rack teeth on the tubular member.